Clippers swept out of D-II tourney

GILFORD ¿ It wasn't a shock to see the Portsmouth High School and Gilford volleyball teams playing each other in the Division II tournament, but the matchup occurred a bit earlier than usual.

Second-seeded Gilford eliminated No. 15 Portsmouth from the playoffs and kept its undefeated season intact with a 3-0 victory Thursday night in the preliminary round. The game scores were 25-12, 25-7 and 25-21.

Gilford handed Portsmouth its only loss of the 2007 season in the state final, and the Clippers returned the favor by defeating the Golden Eagles a year later for the title. Gilford beat Portsmouth in last year's semifinals.

"Portsmouth and Gilford have had a nice rivalry over the last five years," Gilford coach Joan Forge said. "We're very happy it went our way this time. Portsmouth has a lot of sophomores, so it looks good for them in the future, and I think it was a great experience for them tonight."

Gilford (17-0) will host a quarterfinal game on Saturday against No. 10 Somersworth (9-8). The Hilltoppers advanced with a 3-1 upset over No. 7 Coe-Brown. The Golden Eagles have won 12 state championships, including nine straight from 1999-2007.

Portsmouth dropped a 3-0 decision to Gilford during the regular season and finished with a 4-13 record.

"Gilford played very well, they're very well-coached and disciplined," Portsmouth coach Chris Strobel said. "We gave them a game at the end, showed a little heart and determination. It was just a little bit too late."

Gilford went on a 9-2 run in the first game to take a 14-6 lead following a kill from Katie Welch. The Clippers closed within 14-9 after back-to-back kills by Madeleine Nossif, but Welch had five straight service points as the Golden Eagles outscored Portsmouth 11-1 the rest of the game.

Gilford scored the first nine points of the second game, sparked by two kills from Welch and Olivia Broderick.

"Our defense has been keeping us in games," Forge said. "We've been solid in that department, and that continued tonight."

Portsmouth put together a spirited effort in the third game, rallying from a 13-7 deficit to take a 16-15 lead. A kill from Kimberly Vaughn tied the game at 17-all, but Gilford ran off six straight points to grab a 23-17 advantage. Portsmouth got within 23-21 following back-to-back kills by Katie Towey before Gilford closed the match out.

"That's been a microcosm of the season ¿ we've struggled at the beginning of every (match)," Strobel said. "I'm glad the girls played hard the last game. We gave them a good run and I'm excited about next year."

Forge has little doubt the Clippers will be back in contention for a state title in the near future. Portsmouth loses seniors Vaughn, Sarah Henderson and Casey Harrigan.

"Chris does a fantastic job with their players ¿ they've improved tremendously from when we faced them earlier in the season," Forge said. "That's because Chris coaches them well. You see a lot of great things in the Portsmouth team and they're going to be a great team in the future."

Strobel didn't classify this season as a rebuilding year, but a season in which the Clippers learned a lot about the importance of playing mentally tough.

"We were trying to find our identity and our mental toughness, that's kind of what we lacked all year," Strobel said. "We have the physical skills and tools. It's just making sure you want to be here every night and work hard."

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